Oct. 1906.] 



313 



Edible Products, 



integument to kernel is usually lowest in the round plump samples. Actual 

 weighings show very contradictory results owing to the variable amount 

 of pxilp, absorbed moisture, and dirt attached to the outer surface of the 

 integument. 



The following table shows the average proportionate weight of the integu- 

 ments and kernels of different varieties of 100 cured cacao beans at Peradeniya :— 



Table III. 





Weight of 

 kernels only. 



_ Weight of 

 integuments. 



Total 

 weight. 



Percentage 

 weight of 

 integuments. 



Caracas 



116-2 grams. 



10-8 grs. 



127 grs. 



8-5 



Porastero-Cundeamor 



103-0 



10-3 „ 



113-3 



9-0 



Amelonado ... 



94'7 „ 



10-3 „ 



105 „ 



9-8 



The integuments on badly washed or dirty beans vary considerably in weight, 

 and in many such samples the proportionate weight of the integuments around 

 Caracas beans is higher than that around clean beans of the Amelonado type. 



According to the researches of Girard, Heisch, and Zipperer, the ratio of the 

 weight of integuments to that of the beans from different countries is as given in 

 the following table ; the figures by Heisch are for the final product and the others 

 for the raw beans : — 



Table IV. 





Girard. 



Zipperer. 



Heisch. 



Trinidad 



9-82 



14-68 



15-50 



Caracas 



15-85 



15-00 



13-80 



Puerto-Cabello .. 



13 21 



12-28 





Guayaquil 



10-32 





11-50 



Surinam 





14-60 



15-50 



Para 



10-39 





8-50 



Bahia 







9-60 



Ariba 





18-68 





Haiti 



8-93 







Martinique 



8-97 







Cuba 







12 00 



Grenada 







14-60 



The Ceylon beans have been 



well tvashed and the integ 



uments, having the 



minimum pulp and dirt, weigh less than other kinds; the integuments of Ceylon 

 beans constitute from 8 to 10 % of the total weight of the cured beau. 



It is obvious from the foregoing figures that in Ceylon there is a Avide vari- 

 ation in the average weight of cured beans from fruits of different varieties, hence 

 those with the minimum weight must either bear better cacao, be more suitable for 

 cultivation, or give larger crops of fruit ; otherwise they should be eliminated in 

 the selection of seed parents. It has also been shown that the different varieties 

 have constant characters in the thickness or weight of the skin, cuticle, or integu- 

 ment surrounding the seeds ; those varieties having the larger proportion of 

 integument are obviously inferior. 



NUMBER OP SEEDS IN FRUITS. 



It is now necessary for us to determine the average number of seeds 

 per fruit and the average number of fruits borne by the different varieties. 



The number of seeds per fruit varies considerably, but the following table 

 indicates possible averages :— 



